A bountiful life

Breathe

2012-02-12T09:00:00.004-07:00

When all else fails.....

I think this has become a re-ocurring theme in my life...

Maybe Saturday????

2012-02-09T14:03:00.002-07:00

We are headed to Arizona for a couple of days. A girl can't wait forever.........

Even the dog....

2012-02-03T15:37:00.005-07:00

You know it is bad when the dog starts waiting for the truck.....

Waiting.........

2012-01-28T22:07:00.013-07:00

for one of these......

I am not a patient person.....

Little Blessing of the Day!

2012-01-27T15:18:00.004-07:00

Today I had a little blessing come my way.

Zachary called from his mission to check on his admission status for BYU.

It was so fun to hear his voice.

I miss him.

(sigh)

A Change is Gonna' Come....

2011-11-16T12:04:00.003-07:00

So, who would have thought? The-man-of-my-dreams and I are going on a mission. Don't know where, (someplace in the world, English-speaking) but we do know when. We go into the MTC for the mission president's seminar on June 23. We will find out our assignment in February. I have a feeling it will be a long 3 months......

Adele - Rolling in the Deep (Piano/Cello Cover)

2011-09-12T09:33:00.002-06:00

I can't get enough of these guys!

Jellystone Park

2011-09-06T20:08:00.003-06:00

We just returned from our annual Yellowstone pilgrimage.

For the first time we went to the north entrance to see this fabulous arch.

I love the inscription.

We had a great time revisiting the familiar....

...and trying something new.

We searched for our favorites...

...and saw the unusual.

We looked at things with a new perspective...

...and marveled at the beauty around us.

We sat on trees...

...and knocked them over.

"For the benefit and enjoyment of the people"

couldn't be truer words.

plans? what plans?

2011-08-11T16:05:00.005-06:00

I had my life all planned out.

The day after our beloved Peter married his angel, Robyn, I was headed for the cabin. Then a beach. Yep, it was going to be perfect. No one left at home, Zachary has 10 months left in California, just us and the dog.

Oh, the books I was going to read. Travel? Of course. Maybe even learn a language and finally figure out Aperture so I could have stunning photos. Imagine the things I could blog about!

Then life happened.

Now, we have Meridian. An adorable 15 year old girl (gasp!) who is adding dimensions to our lives.

Lesson learned?
don't make plans.

Chim, chim-in-ey......

2011-06-30T11:38:00.001-06:00

We arrived in London and travelled by motorcoach (aka...a bus) to our morning appointment in Parliament. As we drove through London I snapped a few photos from the bus..uh..motorcoach. Not the best photos but you get the idea.

Oh, Bert, where are you?

Charming..

I want the back of my house to look like this!

There were lots of children on their way to school...

How cute is that pink raincoat?

We toured though Parliament and then were treated to attend the

Q&A with the Prime Minister...not easy to get tickets to...thanks Clark and Chris! The Q&A was just like a scene from a movie, people standing and shouting and mocking and laughing...great theatre!

More later.....

Bon Jour

2011-06-29T23:21:00.003-06:00

For our 30th anniversary(yes-that is no typo-30)the-man-of-my-dreams took me on a wonderful trip. I really debated whether I wanted to schlep around my new camera and heavy lens but in the end the heavy lens won. I am so happy it did. Now, if I can just make my computer work to post some photos......

I have laughed all morning!

2011-05-12T13:49:00.000-06:00

Praise To The Man

2011-05-01T09:57:00.000-06:00

We Are BYU

2011-03-22T12:23:00.001-06:00

Go Cougars!!!!!!!!!

Provo, UT Girls - BYU Divine Comedy

2011-02-18T13:31:00.000-07:00

I know that I haven't blogged in, like, forever, but I found this today and it really made me laugh.

Maybe it is enough to get me out of my rut and blogging again.

Enjoy!

(and may I just say, I, too, was a Provo Utah girl and no, I am not offended...)

If this doesn't make you smile then........

2010-11-29T13:18:00.001-07:00

I love this!

Oh, It's a Jolly Holiday with Mary......

2010-11-19T10:21:00.001-07:00

Mary came to Primary this week. I am not sure that she added to the reverence, as a matter of fact, I am quite certain that she didn't. It was a little celebration for a Primary Program well done. I love my Primary children!

Jack didn't quite know what to make of his Grammy but in the end the umbrella won him over.

Wind from the East.......

2010-10-08T11:45:00.002-06:00

Today this came from the nice man wearing Brown-

Inside was this-

With this cute face-

To wear with this-

Oh- I can't wait for Primary next week!!!

Days of Summer

2010-09-30T16:14:00.001-06:00

What did you do on your summer vacation?

After Zach left we had quite an eventful summer. We spent 5 days in Santa Barbara, missed our flight home, arrived at midnight only to get up early the next morning to leave for the annual Yellowstone trip. We saw an amazing amount of wildlife, had 21 bear sightings, and so much fun with our friends the Waites (and Mitchell's fiance, Rachel, and Peter's friend, Robyn).

We spent a few days in Sun Valley, headed to Hawaii with 4 of Peter's friends for a week and then I spent a week with my family in Memphis. We finished off the summer with a trip to Cedar City for the Shakespeare Festival and one more trip to California for a nephew's wedding.

Whew!

Santa Barbara and the Coast Highway

This would be me asking if we could please get some lunch- (for those who have never travelled with the MOMD, we are only allowed to stop for 2 meals a day.)

Necking on the beach--

New trick I learned for cooling off while laying out--

Stay tuned for Part 2- Yellowstone (lucky you!)

Dear Zach

2010-07-27T14:30:00.001-06:00

Dear Zachary,
I missed you today. I decided that enough time had passed and I needed to straighten your room. I gently placed your guitars in their cases, accidentally strumming the strings and wondering when I would hear you play them again. I folded all of your BYU lacrosse shooting shirts and tucked them away in a drawer remembering all of the fun you had this last season, starting time as a freshman, not bad. I stacked the volume after volume of Chris Heimerdinger cds and smiled thinking of all the late nights you and Peter had listening over and over again to Tennis Shoes Among the Nephites. Peter and Ben still turn them on at night as they are falling asleep. I saw a shiny thing under your desk and reach down and found the sheriff badge from Yellowstone with your name engraved on it and thought of all the Jordan/Waite family trips and you and Patrick wearing those badges proudly pinned to your t-shirts, as high school students.
I found the bag of boondoggle supplies and stuffed it back into your closet. Who knew that you would be my crafty child? I hung up your suit that you had so recently outgrown -I wasn't surprised to find a stick of gum in the pocket- and hoped that you are hanging up your suits each day as you wear them. You know, they will last longer that way. I reached down and picked a piece of tape up off the carpet. I closed my eyes and could hear you rolling tape between your fingers....
I found your old scriptures upside down by the bookshelf and held them for a minute before I closed them and put them on the shelf. I thought about putting them in a box with your other things from college but decided I just wanted to see them sitting there.
I was almost finished when I saw the two black boxes sitting on your dresser. I couldn't resist opening them and admiring the two state championship rings twinkling back at me. That's when the tears finally came. What a great boy you are, and how you have filled my life. I know you won't be reading this- mission rules and all- but I just needed to write you and tell you how much I miss you. Every day. Somehow it makes me feel better.
I love you,
Mom

California Saga:Big Sur

2010-07-08T14:38:00.000-06:00

The Man-of-my-dreams took me on a little trip to Santa Barbara last week. It had been a while since we had a vacation without the rest of the family. I had a brilliant idea to drive up the Coastal Highway to Carmel. (I now want to live in Carmel.) It was beautiful--- blue skies, elephant seals, gulls,--MOMD said that we could have driven from Bountiful to Santa Barbara in the time it took us to get to Carmel and back.

True, but I don't remember an ocean view on that trip.

Hard to Believe

2010-07-06T14:25:00.001-06:00

It has been 3 weeks since we dropped Zach off at the MTC.

Today he left for California and the missionary work really begins. We spoke with him for a few minutes from the airport and he sounds happy, happy, happy. He is so looking forward to getting into his first area and talking to real people. What a great boy!

Peter looks like a random person we pulled into the photo.

Final Countdown

2010-06-11T09:49:00.003-06:00

The suits are bought and hanging in the closet, we have the first-aid kit and the flashlight. White shirts, long and short-sleeved are lined up like soldiers and new scriptures are waiting to be marked.

There won't be many more days like this where I can hear his music wafting through the house.

I will miss this boy.

Zach will speak this Sunday in church and then enter the Missionary Training Center on Wednesday. There is nowhere on earth that we would rather he be.

A Memorable Memorial Day Weekend

2010-06-02T14:45:00.008-06:00

We took the boys to Baltimore for the NCAA Lacrosse Final Four. It was our last hurrah before Zach leaves for his mission. The games on Saturday were great and the weather was nice. Unfortunately, Cornell, who we became big fans of last year at the finals, lost. So, we had to pick an new team to cheer for. Duke. The finals were played on Monday so.... on Sunday we took the boys for a little visit to Gettysburg. WOW.

To begin the non-stop teasing of their mother, they secretly bought confederate hats and a flag to greet me as we left the visitor's center and returned to the car.......

...hats that they wore the rest of the day.

the 20th Maine Monument

Little Round Top

Looking over the Valley of Death

Always playing- notice the flying saucer, it's a popper that Zach popped off of the wall of the castle monument down to the waiting Peter.

Devil's Den

Once again, we run into a wedding on vacation. What are the odds??? This one was a bit more traditional than the last one.

Soldier's National Cemetery

Rows and rows and rows of flags.

It is hard to describe the feelings experienced as we walked all over the battlefield. Knowing that my Great-great grandfathers fought for the South made the emotions even more tender.

Sacred, hallowed ground.

THE BIG GAME

Duke vs. Notre Dame

unbelievably hot!!!!

Duke wins-glad we bought the t-shirts.

I love my boys,what a great weekend!

These two are going to miss each other.

(just a note, all of his life, and I do mean-ALL, Peter has made faces of one kind or another in our family pictures)

really?

2010-05-24T15:44:00.002-06:00

Let's Hear It For Our Girl!

2010-04-29T12:21:00.004-06:00

Last Friday our Jenn graduated from Brigham Young University. We are very proud of her. She worked so hard and was even back in class about four weeks after Jack was born.

Now, that is dedication.

Here she is with her family after graduation. (She is missing one sister, Alex, who is in school in Arizona and warmer, I am quite certain, than we were!)

We love you Jenn!

What happens when.....

2010-04-21T15:53:00.007-06:00

To one little curly headed boy you add---

One jar of pom-poms?

You get.........

A bubble blowing heart stealer!

In This Family You Are Never Too Little To Hold A Lacrosse Stick

2010-04-16T11:43:00.008-06:00

As Jack watched his Uncle Zach shooting a little in the back yard he decided that he was now big enough to handle a big boy lacrosse stick.

I promise, it is in the blood.

Sometimes owie's happen.

In the End it is the Hug that Counts

2010-04-16T11:03:00.010-06:00

Game over.

I have never felt so conflicted. What do you wear? Blue? Red? No,BLACK. Who do you cheer for? University of Utah? Brigham Young University? No,PETER and ZACH. It's over. They were good sports, they are good lacrosse players and more important, they are good brothers.

The blue team won.

Don't let this face fool you.

2010-04-08T19:46:00.006-06:00

Last night we were awakened in the night by a noise in the fireplace of our bedroom. The sound woke Scout, who sleeps in our room, who then began growling and barking and adding to the confusion. The noise then turned into an all out brawl on the roof with a lot of scratching and hissing and rolling around. Now, we have a steep roof, I don't know how our furry friends didn't fall off but this morning there were no bodies on the ground so they must have survived their 15 minute scuffle. Tonight we have a stinky smell coming from the fireplace in the family room. Not a dead smell, just a stinky animal smell. I have searched the internet only to discover that raccoon mommies often look for a chimney in the spring to nest with her babies. Swell.

Stay tuned.

For the Birds

2010-04-01T12:01:00.004-06:00

Opened my door yesterday morning and found this little chickadee enjoying a little nap as the snow began to fall. She (I am sure it was a she!) stayed for a while and then the UPS guy scared her away. It was nice to have a feathered friend in my flowerpot.

April Fools?

2010-04-01T11:57:00.004-06:00

All of this "in like a lion and out like a lamb" stuff--- whatever.

The Mission Call

2010-03-11T00:23:00.003-07:00

California San Bernardino Mission

June 16, 2010

Who would have thought???

It's here!!!!!

2010-03-10T15:54:00.004-07:00

Don't know where, don't know when, but the mission call is here.

Zach has a lacrosse game tonight in Provo and then we will all come back home and find out where the next two years will take him.

Be still my heart.

Happy Birthday Melissa!

2010-03-10T14:14:00.005-07:00

Twenty some-thing years ago (your secret is safe with me dear) a wonderful pink bundle of joy came into our lives...... she continues to bring us joy.

Happy Birthday M'lis!

Waiting........

2010-03-08T14:33:00.004-07:00

Mission papers submitted.... status is....mailed.

Waiting, waiting, waiting......

Tomoyasu Hotei - Michael Kamen - Guitar Concerto 1st Movement Part 1 of 2

2010-03-02T15:31:00.001-07:00

Loved, loved, loved this music from the Men's Figure Skating at the Olympics!!!

Polly

2010-02-17T20:26:00.003-07:00

My sweet mother-in-law passed out of this life February 9th. Alzheimer's had claimed her memory but not her grace. We will miss her goodness and constant love.

2010-02-04T08:32:00.003-07:00

Our baby Jack had his first birthday a few weeks ago.

This grandparenting thing is pretty sweet.

Winter Day

2010-02-03T12:44:00.002-07:00

While leaving the cabin last week I noticed these fabulous icicles on a neighbor's cabin.

I do love winter.

Just another day.

2010-01-14T15:26:00.005-07:00

So-- yesterday I went to a "thingy". You know the kind. You dress up, walk around and smile at people you don't really know, put an "I'm facinated by every thing you say" look on your face when the Master of Ceremonies is speaking...you know. ANYWAY, at the end of the evening I took a little detour into the restroom and as I was re-adjusting my SPANX slip, thought to myself, "wow, I know I haven't eaten anything but I think I have lost weight during this evening!" Upon closer inspection I realize that I had been wearing my slip--upside down- the whole night.

Nice.

So Sick

2010-01-13T16:35:00.004-07:00

Andrew, Jenn and Jack moved in with us after Jenn graduated from BYU in December. (We are loving having them with us.) Our little Jack has been a bit under the weather.

I had forgotten how helpless you feel when a little one is sick.

Leave it to Beaver

2010-01-11T13:05:00.005-07:00

Last night Zach said to me, "Mom, you are the perfect 1950's mom." After I turned to him with a puzzled look on my face he continued, "that is a good thing, they were so sweet and cheerful and helpful to their children."

Okay, I have to acknowledge that he has only his Nickelodeon experiences to draw from- but there was something deeper there for me. Sometimes I have felt that what I do on a day-to-day basis doesn't amount to much, but if one of my most cherished has felt loved and cared for then, Mrs. Cleaver I will happily be.

Winter Walkway

2010-01-11T12:11:00.004-07:00

When we arrived at the cabin after Christmas we discovered a new entry, thanks to the Mabey family.

Kinda' cool.

(These are icicles that form on the eves that block the satellite dish and therefore have to be knocked down every couple of days.)

New Year's Eve

2010-01-08T13:59:00.006-07:00

"Just a few friends at the cabin for New Year's Eve Mom."

Great kids, lots of laughter, playing in the snow, eating meatballs, cheese sticks and brownies.

Robyn, Drew and Taylor frying bacon and sausage, Peter's stunning cirque du soleil outfit,

steamers after sledding, hot tubbing with the soon-to-be-leaving missionaries,

card games, terrific helpers.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

The Hot Tub Overfloweth

2010-01-08T13:53:00.003-07:00

What happens when you put 9 college boys into a 5 person hottub?

The deck at the cabin becomes an ice skating rink.

Gentle Shepherd

2010-01-07T17:21:00.003-07:00

Some years ago I woke in the middle of the night to find the-man-of-my-dreams writing furiously on a scrap of paper. I asked him what in the world he was doing and he responded that he had a dream in which he had written a song and he was quickly writing it down before the words left him. The long forgotten scrap of paper has stayed in his journal, lo these many years. For their father's Christmas gift this year, his boys decided to put the words to new music, the dream music having faded long ago. On Christmas morning, Peter and Zach handed him the scrap paper as they played for their father the lyrics set to their music. How touching it was to see the tears roll down the cheeks of a father as he listened to his boys sing. And how touching to see the joy on the faces of those boys as they gave their gift to their father. It was a blessed moment.

Christmas Morning-Catching up on Christmas

2010-01-05T21:18:00.002-07:00

We are not going to fit on the stairs for many more years.

Christmas Eve at Paxton's

2010-01-05T19:30:00.006-07:00

Grandpa reading the Christmas Story from Luke. We love this part of the family gathering.

The Man-of-my-dreams with his mom and Jack.

Melissa visiting with Jenny. She is doing great on her diet!

Jack was happy to see Santa as long as Uncle Zach was holding him.

We are grateful for family.

The Polar Express

2010-01-05T19:01:00.002-07:00

The Polar Express was way fun, even though Zach ditched us for the Vegas Bowl. (He felt bad about it- not great scheduling on our part.) We loved being with the Derricott family and there is nothing like the burgers at Dairy Keen in Heber. Little Jack was a bit young for the long train ride but by next year he should love the whole adventure.

The Tree

2010-01-05T18:49:00.010-07:00

The annual choosing of the Christmas tree was done in record time this year. Fifteen minutes- from start to tying the evergreen beauty

on top of the car.

Zach was impressed.

(It was a great tree but it was snowing and I didn't want to confess that I had just done my hair and I really didn't want to do it again. It is amazing how quick you can be when properly motivated.)

Christmas is Coming

2009-12-16T14:41:00.006-07:00

Christmas is coming, the shopping isn't done, the packages (the few there are) aren't wrapped, the cookies haven't been baked, the neighbor gifts aren't finished, the Christmas cards aren't addressed....but seeing this picture of my boys made me smile.

Merry Christmas.

The Annual Christmas Photo or Now, WHY are we doing this?

2009-12-07T16:33:00.005-07:00

At this point in our lives you might think that the annual Christmas photo would be a pretty easy task.

Oh, so not true!

Between the dog (who we actually forgot for half of the photos), and the boys who don't know how to just stand and smile, and the Grandfather who wanted to make the grandson smile (Not his job), and a grandson who thought we were taking WAY too long (we were), and a slow camera, I thought I was going to murder someone. (Not the darling grandson, most likely the boys who don't know how to stand and smile.)

It is done.

(This should give you some idea of the boys behavior.)

Fall

2009-11-19T15:42:00.002-07:00

I love fall.

I love all of the colors of fall. I love the crunch of leaves under my feet. I love the way leaves smell. I love seeing piles of leaves. I love watching leaves fall as the wind blows.

I love fall.

True Confessions - Big Trouble

2009-11-16T14:05:00.003-07:00

I would like to blame the contents of this box for the 10 pounds I need to lose. While in NYC I discovered this fabulous bakery, over and over again. (The LONG line going out the door was a real clue that tasty treats were inside!) Their Red Velvet cupcakes tasted just like the Red Velvet cake we had every Friday at Richland Elementary School in Memphis Tennessee. I used to live for school lunch on Fridays! The frosting isn't the cream cheese frosting you often see on Red Velvet cupcakes, but the same white sauce (sorta') frosting that I always had in the south. (I finally found a recipe like it - from a southern cook- and it is wonderful!) Anyway, I visited the bakery everyday while we were there and never left with just one. (I even brought one home on the plane.)

Alas, they do not do online orders.

Maybe that is a good thing.

Passing time without a computer

2009-11-11T17:06:00.003-07:00

I have had a most frustrating fall. My beloved imac has been very sick and finally we had to get a transplant. Fortunately, we don't seem to have any rejection problems. Maybe now I can catch up on photos and events from the past few months. (Sound familiar?) We'll just start with our cute Jack.

Infinite Power of Hope

2009-09-20T08:04:00.001-06:00

Inspiration on a Sunday morning.

A glowing report

2009-09-11T09:29:00.008-06:00

After seven (yes, seven) years of begging, badgering, and beseeching, I finally got the Man-of-My-Dreams into the doctor for the dreaded test that involves drinking large quantities of nasty tasting clear liquid. (You know what I am talking about!) The prep for the test is much worst than the actual test itself so, for the 48 hours leading up to the big event, we had a bit of whining and complaining at our house. In the middle of the night before the procedure, the MOMD had to wake up at 3:00 am and for over an hour drink more of the delish liquid... may I say, no one really got much sleep. (Even the dog got up.)

The arrival time at the hospital was quite early, so I got up at 6:00 am while granting the MOMD a few precious extra moments of sleep. (Now, please remember that I don't function very well on a few hours of sleep.....) I showered, dressed, and dried my hair, then woke up the patient. While he showered I finished my hair, grabbed the spray can, and promptly covered my head with...spray on tan... of the Sublime Glow variety. (hey, we have a history of skin cancer in my family!) It was early, I was tired and the cans of hair spray and spray on tan look remarkably alike.

Not my finest moment.

By the way, the test results were perfect.

Go Utes!

2009-09-09T15:27:00.008-06:00

Peter just left the house headed to his first University of Utah Lacrosse practice. We are so happy that he is playing for the U of U with a lot of his pals. He is working hard to get back into shape after his 2 year mission for our church. He will be great-- I am not sure that I will be. How in the world do you cheer at a U of U/BYU lacrosse game with darling boys on both teams? Any suggestions would be appreciated!

Roommates and Teammates

2009-09-09T15:15:00.005-06:00

After a long week of tryouts, Rogers Hall, Apt 94, is a happy place. All four boys-Zach, Mike, Andrew, and Jacob- along with Bountiful pals, Ricky and Matt made the final cut and are teammates on the BYU Lacrosse Team. We are so proud of you!

Go Cougars!

The Move

2009-09-09T14:46:00.006-06:00

Last week we drove down to Provo to take our last boy to college. We found the right dorm. We patiently waited for a parking space and carried the loads of stuff into the dorm room. We made beds, put away clothes, and found a lost guitar pick. We bought an ethernet cable, a thumb drive, and a desk lamp. We shopped for groceries (beefaroni, ramein, refried beans, tortillas) and we put those groceries in a box under the bed. We kissed our boy and we drove away.

We are sad.

LOVE STORY (Taylor Swift) meets VIVA LA VIDA (Coldplay) - Piano Cello - by Jon Schmidt

2009-07-30T18:10:00.001-06:00

Okay, I am loving this. I know that I am a little late to the game- (more than 2,216,094 views) but...wow!

So...what have you been doing since May?

2009-07-27T18:30:00.020-06:00

After following these guys around with a camera for 3 years, celebrating a second State Lacrosse Championship with "my boys" was oh so sweet!

A Sunday nap with Grandpa.

We had a fabulous time at the NCAA Lacrosse Finals in Boston. Though we were a bit sad that Cornell lost in the final seconds, Peter and Zach loved being at the big game.

Seminary Graduation with Zach.

The Boys and their Dads

Zach, Christian Taylor, Jacob Folkerson, Andrew Welling, Joe Lake, Drew Miner, Ricky Rose, Joey Nelson.

And with their Moms.

Our Lacrosse Boys-

Ricky Rose, Jacob Folkerson, Robbie Derricott, Joe Lake (honorary team mate), Andrew Welling, Joey Nelson , Shawn Carter, Drew Miner, Mike Fabrizio, and Zach.

Graduation All-night Party

Fourth of July Parade at Brighton

We have no idea who this little guy is, but isn't he cute?

The parade at Brighton- next year we are skipping the breakfast at

the cabin and having breakfast with the Brighton Ward.

Red Velvet cupcakes on Independence Day!

Our cute Jack in his Jumping Toy.

Does he ever like it!

Uncle Zach and Jack at Phillip Waite's Wedding Reception.

Maybe, just maybe, I can stay on top of things for the rest of the summer.

Tugs of the Heartstrings

2009-06-04T13:13:00.002-06:00

Today, I stood on the porch and watched my Zach drive away to school for the last time. I followed the car until it disappeared around the corner as a wave of emotions swept over me. Sadness, hope, joy, love, and loneliness- how can one person feel so much at one time?

I am sad to see the last of my babies doing something that has been part of our lives for so many years. The rush and craziness of dragging children out of bed, getting ready for school, checking for assignments, and kisses and prayers before running out the door. All of the disruptions of quiet mornings, oh, how I will miss it.

I am filled with hope for his future. He will spread his wings and fly to new adventures- ones that will mold him into the man he is to become. Adventures that won't include me or the-man-of-my-dreams.

The joy of life envelopes me. The funny comments, the dinner conversations, the many lacrosse games, the choir concerts, the family movie nights, the Sunday worship, the family road trips, all of it. How blessed.

Love overwhelms me as I think of the years that have rushed by. Not just love for this boy, but for his brothers and sister and the everyday moments that have defined me as a mother.

And all of these emotions lead to loneliness. Who am I without them? If I am not reminding, and encouraging, and checking up on, and cleaning up after these babies who have grown into people, who am I?

I suppose I will find out, one day at a time. But for now, for this day, I am going to hold in my heart the memory of that car backing down the driveway with one wonderful boy headed to the last day of school.

This Chicken's Toast

2009-05-04T12:06:00.004-06:00

When Peter was little his favorite movie was Ghostbusters. The child LOVED this movie. We would watch it over and over and over again. One of the lines from the movie that he most repeated was, "this chicken's toast!".

Now, you may be thinking to yourself, where, exactly, was that line in the movie? I don't remember toasted chicken. Well, that would be because the line wasn't in the movie. The actual line was "this chick is toast!" (referring to the floating Sigourney Weaver character.)

Okay, cute child. But, you may ask, what does this have to do with the above picture.

Let me share.

On Saturday, the man-of-my-dreams and I attended a funeral. Shortly after the funeral began the MOMD's phone rang. (On silent, of course, we WERE attending a funeral.) He checked to see who was calling and it was our Zach. Now, Zach knew that we were at a funeral and he is not a boy to call and chat so we decided it would be best for MOMD to slip out (fortunately, we were right by a door) and call home. As he came back in and sat down I asked if everything was alright. His rely? "It is now."

It seems that the sweet boy Zach moved the recipe box from the countertop to the stove not realizing that the burner had been turned on, and walked away. As he was going upstairs to shower he glanced back to the kitchen to see smoke and flames coming from the recipe box. Being the quick thinking child he is, he grabbed the box, dumped the recipes on the counter and put out the flames on the burning recipe box. (He said later, "I had to save the recipes, Mom.") Disaster averted!

Now we still have a house and the treasured recipes and except for the slightly burnt smell and the singed edges they just look like ...toast.

100 Days of Jack

2009-04-27T12:19:00.006-06:00

Yesterday Jack was 100 days old. This is a big day for a young man with Korean ancestry. Tradition calls for a photo session and this little boy was so sweet. He never complained. He just endured his Grandma taking picture after picture.

Susan Boyle - Singer - Britains Got Talent 2009 (With Lyrics)

2009-04-15T14:24:00.001-06:00

You have got to see this. Dreams come true!

Death of a Fly

2009-04-15T13:51:00.006-06:00

This morning I walked into my bathroom and there on my floor was a dead fly. Now, this is unusual, not because I don't have flies in my house, but because I don't ever recall finding one on my bathroom floor...especially in April. I remembered, as I recovered from my surprise, that I had seen this fly come in the back door on Sunday while the boys were outside tossing the lacrosse ball. Now, you ask, how do I know that it was this particular fly? Come on, it wasn't the cute Easter outfit it had on, it's April. We just don't have that many flies and anyway, I had seen it flying around the house on Monday and Tuesday. I know that it wasn't there last night when I washed my face, for heaven's sake, I would have stepped on it. For some reason, it was there, dead on my bathroom floor. Okay, you may say that it simply had lived all of its days here on the earth but nope, I think I know exactly what happened. I declare that that fly took one look out the window this morning and when it saw the snow falling, it simply laid on its side and gave up.

I know just how it felt.

An Apostle's Easter Thoughts on Christ

2009-04-14T21:13:00.001-06:00

Take a minute and let this wash over you.

Moments to Remember

2009-04-14T09:46:00.005-06:00

How we rely on our techincal equipment to work! I haven't posted anything for so long because my beloved imac has refused to allow the usb ports to work and I can't download any pictures. I have an appointment with the Genius Bar at Apple today and I just hope that my pal can be repaired...and repaired quickly.

So much has happened in the past few weeks. We had the blessing of having my mom, Mamaw to the kids, here with us for about 6 weeks. What a gentleness she brings to our home. The boys are so tender with her and everyone loves to be around her. She left on Saturday and we are missing her. Our little dog, Scout, is in withdrawals. She got lots of attention from Mamaw and is missing her cuddle time. Scout has followed me around for the last 3 days and even at this moment is insistent that she sit in my lap with her head resting on my arm as I try to type. Mom says that she is getting too old to come back out for another visit, but none of us are willing to accept that decision. We will cross our fingers for another visit this summer!

We also had a fun spring break at the cabin with a ton of snow. I am not sure spring will ever come to Pine Tree, Utah. (A little homage to White Christmas!) It was delightful to have all of the kids there with little baby Jack at the cabin for the first time. We built fires, snow forts, and puzzles. We played games and watched movies and slept in late. We broke, and then repaired a vacuum cleaner (actually, I repaired the vacuum- the man of my dreams had gone to the valley to work) and broke and prayed over a dryer. (Little miracle there-- it now works and we can't explain it.) We ate lots of food and did a lot of dishes and were really sad to have to return to the world of responsibility.

Last weekend was General Conference for our church. What a privilege it is to feast on the words of men and women called of God. We felt inspired and uplifted and motivated to be more faithful, more temple-going, more hopeful, and more Christ-like.

Deep Breath

2009-03-19T10:46:00.005-06:00

Imagine my surprise when I got an email today telling me that I owed $2201.85 on our wireless bill. Okay... deep breath. I then go to our billing details and discover that our darling Zach is the one to point a finger at. Another deep breath and a little more digging into the bill and I realize that the problem is not with Zach but a mistake with our wireless carrier. Instead of unlimited text messages, (is there any other way with a senior in high school???) we are being charged by the text. Eighty minutes on the phone with a very nice young man (from Ogden, Utah) and all is well. Does Zach have any idea what wrath he side-stepped today?

Jack. Does it get any better?

2009-03-18T17:55:00.003-06:00

This is Jack. He is two months old. He loves his Grandmother. ( I should know, he told me.) He is also very fond of his Uncle Zach, who returns the sentiment.

We are loving this baby.

HOME

2009-02-27T13:58:00.004-07:00

He's home.

He is really home. He has no clothes, he plays the piano (didn't do that when he left), he opens doors for his mom (he might have done that before he left?), and he is crazy antsy. He says sweet prayers, he bear hugs his friends, and he kisses his mom goodnight. We feel blessed.

He's home.

Sixteen Days!!!!!

2009-02-10T17:22:00.004-07:00

Sixteen days-- Can you believe it? Sixteen days and this mom will have her arms around her little Peter Rabbit. I am so proud of him and amazed at the growth we have seen through his email the past two years. St. Louis will miss him. We have missed him. I know that life will be different when he gets here. I know that my laundry will more than double, my food bill will more than double, my noise level will more than double..you get the picture, but the laughter will double, the singing will double, the teasing will double, and the hugs...ohhhh! The hugs will double! I can't wait...Sixteen Days!

Our Little Oompa Loompa

2009-02-10T15:12:00.006-07:00

No, he really isn't this color, it was the lighting in the room - I was trying not to use the flash. He is the sweetest little baby, and this was our first night to tend him while his parents ran an errand. We loved it! His darling great-grandmother made the cute sweater and hat. Isn't it great?

I promise, every blog will not be about this wonderful child, but while I am recovering from a little surgery, he gets the attention.

A Lacrosse Player is Born

2009-01-25T17:43:00.002-07:00

The man of my dreams is pretty happy these days. His visions of a new generation of lacrosse players is coming to pass... (and dodge and roll.) Poor Jack, here's hoping he likes the sport.

Sweet Land of Liberty

2009-01-20T22:09:00.007-07:00

Today history happened and I witnessed it. Though I wasn't physically in Washington DC, through the magic of technology, I was front and center sitting in my bed. No, I didn't vote for this African American Senator from Illinois, and I don't agree with some of his politics, but in the moment, I was proud to be an American. We have seen beyond color and, as a nation, elected a man the majority thought to be the best choice to lead our country. The transfer of power was done peacefully and full of grace from both the Obama's and the Bush's. The choice was made and I am ready to support this man, President Barack Obama, full of hope for the future of our country. Our new president says that he is ready to change politics in Washington, and I am ready to take him at his word. May God bless this land and may God bless President Obama.

A Day In the New Life

2009-01-17T12:15:00.034-07:00

Announcing the arrival of

Jackson Azariah

January 16, 2009

12:31 pm

Waiting for Jack

Uncle Zach passing the time

Tender Mercies

Cleaning up

Weighing in at 7 pounds 4 ounces

Measuring in at 21 inches

Footprints

Being poked and prodded

Doctor Hall with Andrew and Jenn

Oh happy day!

Evidence of my new title as Grandmother

The very, very proud Grandfather

Holding onto Daddy in the nursery

First Bath

Glad all that's over

New Stuff to play with!

2009-01-17T12:01:00.002-07:00

My new lens came last Thursday and the only model I had was Scout.

She was not very co-operative.

I am loving the lens though!

I Have a Camera and I Know How to Use It

2009-01-17T11:45:00.004-07:00

I took my first photography class this week. I loved it...I just hope that I can remember what I learned. This was a photo from the class...I think that I am getting it.

A Winter's Feast

2009-01-17T11:29:00.004-07:00

Winter at our house means lots of visits from our friends, the deer. This was an especially happy group, feasting on the ivy and ground plants that they believe are grown just for them.

I know that it is a dark photo, but look for the glowing eyes. You will find eight pair.

A Bit of the Old before a Bit of the New

2009-01-17T09:40:00.008-07:00

Before I begin the new year I have to catch up with just a few photos that capture the end of last year.

The tree did get decorated, it was beautiful and it did stay alive through the holidays.

Santa came to the family party on Christmas Eve at Aunt Diana's. It was wonderful, as always, to spend time with those we love. Next year we will have a baby to sit on Santa's lap.

O Christmas Tree!

2008-12-12T14:26:00.003-07:00

Last year we purchased what we thought was the perfect Christmas tree. Five days after the lights were aglow the perfect tree was as dry as a creek bed in southern Utah in August. We only turned the lights on Christmas morning for pictures while we opened presents and then the tree went dark. This year I have been a little nervous about the whole tree thing. We waited a little longer than normal this year in hopes that the tree would last through the holidays. Wouldn't you know it, the man-of-my-dreams is now so involved in a huge case at work that he has had no time to get a tree and wasn't really clear when he would. I finally decided that if I waited for the trial to end there would be no trees left. So.... I enlisted the help of Andrew and Zach and we went tree hunting, without the Dad. It didn't feel quite right to do it without him but we did find a tree (only 2 stops). The boys brought said tree home and covered it in Wilt-Pruf (J&L promises it will keep the tree green and supple!) and re-cut the bottom and plopped into water. After it dried they brought the new perfect tree it into the house and now it sits in all its glory in the family room, naked, waiting for the-man-of-my-dreams to put the lights on it.

Tis' the Season

2008-12-12T14:11:00.003-07:00

I have had the hardest time getting into the holiday spirit...that is until the snow came. It was so beautiful and all of a sudden......it was CHRISTMAS!

Smile!

2008-12-12T13:17:00.003-07:00

Another year, another Thanksgiving and another photo for the Christmas Card. Next year we will have Peter home from his mission and it will be Zach's last one before leaving for his mission so we will have the whole family together and maybe we will have an official family portrait done but this year it was the same story. (How's that for a run on sentence!) Get everyone together, deal with the whiners, find the dog, pose the group, check the viewfinder--can we see everyone?--make the boys behave, calm the man-of-my-dreams down, get the dog's attention.......SMILE!

Dear Friends

2008-10-23T12:39:00.007-06:00

President-Elect Ryan Paul

This past week was the Utah Museums Association's annual conference. I have had the honor of serving on the board for the past 5 years, with 2 of those years as president. I have loved serving the museums in the state of Utah and more importantly, I have loved getting to know the unsung heros who are the caretakers of the treasures of our state. These wonderful people give so much of their time and talents to often unpaid positions in organizations with very limited funds. I will miss the association I have had with them.

I thank my friends for taking in someone with no museum experience and allowing me to learn from them. I will remember long road trips that allowed for long getting-to-know-you-better conversations, auctions with the Ryan & Jayceen Show, sitting and laughing with the girls at conferences, new babies born into the UMA family and loved ones lost, tiptoeing through delicate situations, sharing book titles, more laughter, watching our museums grow more confident at the State Legislature and sharing heartaches as well as happiness. All of these memories, and more, make for lifetime friends who I will always hold close to my heart.

Thank you, thank you, thank you dear friends!

What Happened to Fall?

2008-10-13T18:44:00.006-06:00

the melting snow

A week ago I was enjoying the glory of fall, today I am looking at melting snow. A lot of melting snow. Ten inches of melting snow. We woke up yesterday to bending trees in our yard and broken trees all around the neighborhood. Someone sneaked in during the weekend and stole our fall. I have been so cold that I didn't think about taking a picture until this afternoon and most of the snow had melted but I took a photo anyway. I won't forget this fall theft. Oh, no I won't.

Principessa Scout

2008-10-07T20:16:00.012-06:00

don't even think about it

I think that I have created a monster. Yesterday I took our little dog, Scout, to the groomer. (Not one of her favorite activities, but I digress.) While I was at the "crocodile groomer" (as the-man-of-my-dreams refers to it) I saw a soft, warm pad that I thought Scout would like for her crate. She has spent the past couple of days shivering as the weather has turned a little cooler and I was trying to find a way to warm her bed up. I bought the fake-fur-blanket-pad- thing and brought it home. When I took it out of the bag and put in on the floor she immediately parked her little body on it and took possession. "Well," I thought, "isn't it great that she likes it."

Last night I put the blanket in the bed and she went straight in and snuggled down for the night. This morning I when I opened the door to her crate she didn't come out. Typically she is out, down the stairs and headed to the back door. I bent down and looked in and slowly she came out. I thought, "Hmmm, she must really like her blanket."

I got breakfast for Zach and sent him out the door to school and looked around, no Scout. Not normal, but okay, she must have gone back upstairs. I went up and looked in her bed...no Scout and no blanket. Now this wasn't an easy thing to get into the crate in the first place so I was surprised to not find it there. I looked around the room and peeking out from my closet was a little dog snuggled into her blanket. Now, let me just say, I have NEVER seen her drag anything around larger than one of her toys and here she had dragged this blanket across the room and into the closet.

This was only the beginning. She usually sits in my lap as I work on the computer. Not today. She usually follows me upstairs as I shower. Not today. All day she has parked her little 4 pound body on that blanket. She dragged it from spot to spot and growled at anyone who came within a foot of her. What have I done? This is not good.

Breathing Fall

2008-10-06T10:40:00.010-06:00

a boy and his dog

I love fall. I have always loved fall. When I was little, fall meant new school clothes, the smooth feel of a stack of lined school paper, apples, the amazing colors of the trees as the leaves began to change and my birthday. Finally, the hot humid days of summer were coming to an end and warm sweaters and knee socks were coming out of the back of the closet.

I still think of these things as the days begin to get a hint of crispness in the air but over the years other things have skittered across my mind with the coming of fall. New teachers for my children in school, shopping for new shoes to replace the stinky ones that have been worn all summer by little, and then big, feet. Fall sports- first soccer and now football -for the boys and music lessons for all. I think of the potential of snow coming to cover the weeds in my yard that I am tired of pulling, and the leaves we are going to have to rake before the first storm comes. I think of the-man-of-my-dreams birthday and how much he loves everything fall. I think of the acorns falling off of the trees and try to remember what the farmers almanac says about them and what they mean for the winter to come. I think today of the quickness of the passing of time and wonder at the reality that my baby boy is now a senior in high school.

What will I think of next year as school starts without any of my children dressing for that first day and standing with the dog on the front porch for the painful, first day of school picture? I don't know, what I do know is that I am going to breathe in every mother-moment with this amazing last child and be thankful for the memories of fall that each of my children have given me.